The tension had built to an unbearable point. We had been on two dates, and texted every day for two weeks, about every little thing that came to mind, even a few inappropriate conversations that made me glad he couldn't see me blush.
The dates were cute, coy even. It started with a nice dinner, full of shy smiles and laughs, but it was quickly obvious that we were already comfortable with one another. The second date was a ball game, still public, but cause for sitting closely and leaning our heads together for private conversation. In the 7th inning, I missed the home run because he leaned in to kiss me. It caught me off guard, but he quickly grabbed my attention with gentle pressure and an adept tongue. We kissed for ten minutes outside my apartment, until a car that he had blocked in needed to leave.
Although I knew things had reached the boiling point, I was still nervous. I'm what you would call a curvy girl, and I'm not exactly confident in my body. I decided liquid courage was the answer, so we planned to go out and have a few drinks together. The bar was loud and a little crowded, but we found a small table out of the way and the waitress was polite and efficient. He teased me about ordering a fruity drink, and then ordered us shots. I knew then we wouldn't be there long.
On the drive back to his house, he put his hand on my thigh and I shivered. He raised his eyebrows at me and murmured, "If you're not ready for this..."
"I'm ready." I was surprised at how steady my voice was considering the liquor. "I think we're both more than ready." He pushed his foot down a little harder on the gas pedal.
I walked slowly through the door, glancing around at the previously uncharted territory, but as soon as I heard the lock click on the door, his hand was on my hip, pulling me backwards into him. With his other hand, he pulled my long dark hair to the side and kissed my neck lightly, brushing a line from behind my ear down to the strap on my tank top. Goosebumps rose instantly despite the summer heat seeping into the house. With gentle hands, he turned me around and then cupped my face with both hands, kissing me deeply.
With a little effort, he stopped, and led me by the hand down a narrow hallway to the bedroom. The window air conditioner had been working overtime, and the cool room was spotless, the bed sheets clearly freshly laundered. He kicked off his shoes and sat on the bed, still holding my hand and waiting to see what I would do.